Do you struggle with severe menstrual cramps, multiple sclerosis, ALS, chronic pain, or other muscle spasms that impact your quality of life? If so, you may want to consider medical cannabis for easing your discomfort and relaxing your muscle contractions. Clinical research and medical cannabis proponents (in certain states) support the effectiveness of medical marijuana for muscle spasms.
Seeking Relief for Your Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasms can cause severe pain that impacts your daily life. Whether you’ve tried other remedies that didn’t work or you want to implement another pain-relieving supplement to your strategy, medical marijuana may help.
What Are Muscle Spasms?
Muscle spasms occur when your muscles involuntarily contract, often causing pain and immobility. Many environmental and underlying factors can cause muscle spasms, including exercise, dehydration, hormonal imbalances, poor blood circulation, etc.
For some people, the spasms may happen for a few seconds every now and then; however, others experience them regularly for longer periods. If you suffer from chronic muscle spasms due to an underlying medical condition, like ALS or multiple sclerosis, you likely need something to relieve the pain and discomfort when they occur.
How Does Medical Cannabis Improve Muscle Spasms?
THC and CBD include cannabinoids that interact with your body’s natural cannabinoid receptors and the endocannabinoid system. Because of this interaction, medical marijuana offers anti-inflammatory effects that can suppress neurological inflammation by reducing the number of inflammatory proteins your body produces. The inflammation reduction can help reduce muscle spasms in many patients.
Medical marijuana for muscle spasms may have the most effective results for patients with multiple sclerosis. Cannabinoids might be able to inhibit MS disease progression by suppressing astrocytes, which activate inflammatory responses. Medical marijuana can also provide general pain relief and relaxation, which can help patients manage discomfort related to their muscle spasms.
Results From Clinical Trials
A clinical study examining medical marijuana’s effects on patients with multiple sclerosis and transverse myelitis found that 77% of participants experienced reduced pain and systematic spasticity, reporting general quality-of-life improvements with minimal side effects.
An additional placebo-controlled study found similar results. A group of 630 patients with muscle spasms received either cannabis extract, 9-THC (another type of cannabinoid), or a placebo. 61% of the participants in the cannabis extract group and 60% in the 9-THC group reported improvements.
Medical Cannabis vs. Prescription Drugs
Depending on your health condition, your doctor may prescribe different therapy regimens or prescription drugs to alleviate your muscle spasms. Patients with underlying concerns, like MS or ALS, often must take additional medications to suppress their symptoms. While medical marijuana cannot replace prescription drugs, it can offer additional symptom relief on top of your existing medication plan.
Many prescriptions cause adverse reactions like nausea, dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, and difficulty breathing. Medical marijuana can relieve muscle spasm symptoms without causing uncomfortable side effects, though you should speak with your doctor first.
Taking Medical Marijuana for Muscle Spasms
The best strains of medical marijuana for muscle spasms depend on your needs, so you can try different options to find what you prefer or consult your doctor for further information.
You can consume medical marijuana in many ways. The different consumption options offer varying advantages, onset times, and durations. Consider the following:
- Edibles and capsules: Infused edibles or capsules enter your digestive system, so they take longer to kick in, but offer more sustained results.
- Tinctures, vapes, and flower: Oil droplets, vapes, and smoke inhalation offer more immediate, but short-lived, relief.
- Topicals: Topicals, like creams or lotions, allow you to apply the product directly to the problem area, providing more targeted and immediate alleviation.
Visit a LeafMed Medical Dispensary Today
At LeafMed, we want to help you understand how medical marijuana can improve your quality of life by easing symptoms related to your health complications. Now that you know about the effectiveness of marijuana for muscle spasms, learn about medical marijuana for back pain. When you’re ready to begin your medical marijuana journey, visit one of our LeafMed dispensaries in Mississippi, and our team will be happy to help.